Electric cigar-lighter



Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. g

I ELECTRIC ::ZZ:-IJGHTER 4 I Nicolaas Willem van- Tiene, Heerlen, Netherlands Application January 23, 1933, Serial No. 653,206 In the Netherlands January 26, 1932 IClaim.

The invention relates to an electric cigarlighter, by preference of pocket-size though it may also be constructed, as a table-apparatus.

I In such apparatus, especially those of the pocket-size, there are difliculties in the current V supply which are overcome by-the invention. I

The device according to the invention is characterized by the fact that a; dynamo for producing the current for the heating element is arranged within the apparatus.

According to the invention a transformer for stepping up the current intensity may be arranged between the dynamo and the heating element. 7

The drawingschematically illustrates the apparatus according to the invention in a sectional view of an embodiment.

The housing of the apparatus which may be interconnected portions is indicated by I. In this housing a small dynamo machine 2 is arranged, which may be of any type and has been illustratedschematically. On the rotor-shaft 3 a pinion 4 is arranged which engages a cogwheel 5 attached on a shaft 6.

. The said shaft may be provided with a drum laround which a band 8 has been laid which out of the housing I terminates in a handle 9. The drum 1 contains a spring which has not been illustrated and which influences the said drum in such a manner that in the normal position the band 8 is always entirely rolled up. Further a free-wheel device (not illustrated in the drawing) is arrangedbetween the drum 1 and the shaft 6 so that said shaft 6 does not rotate when the drum 1 is being wound up. The rotor of the dynamo 2 is constructed as a heavy fly-wheel, whereas a separate fly-wheel may be arranged on the shaft 3 which may be supported'e. g. by

40 ball-bearings. The transmission between the teeth-wheels 5 and l is so that if the band .8 is

45 1 freely rotates back under the influence of the made of ebonite or the like and comprises two.

spring arranged in its interior and rolls up the band again whereby the rotor of the dynamo freely slows down.

The heating element H! which e. g. may consist in a flat band is countersunk and may be .5 protected from damage for example by a cover.

In general such heating elements require a rather large current intensity which as a rule cannot be exerted directly by dynamos suiting the purpose. To this end according to the in- 10 vention the current of the dynamo 2 may firstly be led through a transformer of very small dimensions, stepping down the voltage. So e. g. the dynamo may be designed for a voltage of 7 volts, whereas the transformer transforms it into 5 0.5 volt, whereby the current-intensity may be easily increased to 4 ampres. With the aid of such a current intensity a heating filament of a suflicient mechanical strength may be set to glow.

The transformer I I may be arranged under the dynamo 2 whereby the heating element is connected to the secondary terminals.

In this manner a compact unit is obtained whereby the use of batteries is entirely avoided or the necessity of connecting the apparatus to the electrical network becomes superfluous respectively.

I claim:

An electric cigar lighter, comprising a casing adapted to fit into the hand of the user, a dynamo in said casing, gearing in said casing for rotating the. rotor of said dynamo at high speed, means' connected to said gearing for storing energy to actuate said gearing, hand-actuated means operable from the exteriorof the casing for operating said first-mentioned means to rotate said. gearing, spring means for returning said first-mentioned means to its original posi-' tion after release of the hand-operated means,

a current intensifyingtransformer in said c'as- 40 ing connected across the output of said dynamo, and a heating element disposed in the wall of said casing and connected across the secondary of said transformer. NICOLAAS wnmm vm 'IIENE. 

